ReOregon Public Involvement

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Substantial Action Plan Amendment (SAPA)

What is SAPA?

OHCS can make minor amendments to the Action Plan as needed. Changes to the Action Plan, if they are major, must follow the Substantial Action Plan Amendment process. Changes that require a SAPA include:

• Changes to program benefits or eligibility criteria
• Addition or deletion of an activity or program
• Significant changes to the budget (i.e., a change of $5 million or more, or changing a program budget by 15% or more). When major budget changes are proposed, OHCS must explain how those changes relate to remaining unmet recovery needs.

When OHCS proposes a SAPA, the amendment will be posted on the state’s CDBG-DR website for a 30-day public comment period. The amendment will be posted in adherence with the Americans with Disabilities Act and language accessibility requirements. As required by HUD, OHCS will address all comments received.

Non-substantial action plan amendments to date

What is in the draft SAPA?

The amendment reallocates program funds to create additional opportunities for renters and expands recovery options for Homeowner Assistance and Reconstruction Program applicants.

A high-level summary of the amendment:

• Restructuring Homeownership Opportunities Program (HOP) to a new program called Affordable Housing Development (AHD), allowing opportunities for both new homeownership and rental housing development in wildfire- affected communities.
• Reallocating some funding from Homeowner Assistance and Recovery Program (HARP) to AHD.
• Increasing the maximum potential awards for HARP applicants.
• Adding reimbursement as a recovery pathway in HARP.

Public comment

There are multiple ways the community can provide comments on the draft SAPA. We encourage folks to find what will work best for them.

All comments must be submitted to OHCS no later than 11:59 p.m. Nov. 8, 2024.

Submit comments online, or by email, phone, or mail:

Submit comments via our online form

Email: hcs_housinginfo@oregon.gov

Phone: 877-510-6800

Mail: OHCS, 725 Summer St NE, Suite B, Salem, OR 97301-1266

Attend an in-person public hearing

Attend a virtual public hearing

The virtual public hearing will be held via Zoom on Oct. 30 from 6 to 8 p.m. Please register for the hearing to participate.

Public Hearing PowerPoint Presentation [English] or [Spanish]

Previous public involvement activities

Public participation in action plan development

Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) conducted multiple consultations and engagement activities to develop an Action Plan to guide all ReOregon wildfire recovery activities. Public involvement steps included:

• Meeting with various stakeholders, including disaster-affected residents, state agencies, local governments, public housing authorities, and long-term recovery groups (LTRGs).
• Meeting with state agencies, including the Oregon Office of Emergency Management, Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development, Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services, and Oregon Department of Agriculture.
• Using early rounds of engagement meetings with local governments and stakeholders to present the initial unmet needs assessment and obtain feedback.
• Presentations and discussions with standing bodies, such as the OHCS Tribal liaison committee.
• Partnering with culturally specific community-based organizations to hold focus groups with survivors.
• Holding public open houses and hearings in Lincoln, Marion, Lane, and Jackson counties.
• Conducting an online survey during the first round of early engagement.
• Taking in public comments on the Draft Action Plan. Almost 200 comments were received and responded to in the final Action Plan.

Advisory committee

An Ad Hoc Advisory Committee helped shape the ReOregon Action Plan through a series of meetings in spring and summer 2022. The Ad Hoc Advisory Committee advised both OHCS staff and the Housing Stability Council (HSC – the governing body of OHCS) on key items such as budget and priorities.

The committee was made up of stakeholders such as state elected officials, representatives of local governments, nonprofits working on disaster recovery, and two members of the HSC.

ReOregon public involvement plans

Citizen participation plan

The state has adopted a Citizen Participation Plan (CPP), (Plan de participación en Español) that describes procedures for public participation in the development and implementation of the Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) and mitigation activities and programs.

The overall purpose of the CPP is to provide for and encourage the public to participate in an advisory role in the planning, implementation, and assessment of Oregon’s CDBG-DR funded programs. (Note: While HUD requires the development of a “citizen” participation plan, OHCS assigns equal value to responses from all Oregonians.)

Language access plan

OHCS created a Language Access Plan (LAP) in English and Spanish to ensure that OHCS provides appropriate language assistance so individuals with limited English proficiency (LEP) receive meaningful access to OHCS’ CDBG-DR programs.

LEP individuals include persons who do not speak English as their primary language and who have a limited ability to read, write, speak, or understand English. All ReOregon public facing documents will be translated into Spanish. Documents will be translated into other languages on request.